True or False? 20 Common Myths About Pregnancy

Forming a new human being is the most complicated thing a person can do without really having to think about it. But that doesn’t mean women don’t fret over it.

So three Californian OB/GYNs — tired of getting called at 3 a.m. by frantic pregnant women who had woken up to find themselves sleeping on their backs or who had eaten raw meat and wanted to get their stomachs pumped (yes, those are two real examples) — decided to write a book: The Mommy Docs Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy and Birth.

Drs. Yvonne Bohn, Allison Hill and Alane Park also host a TV show called “Deliver Me” on Discovery, and they’ve all gestated children — which gives them at least one advantage over Dr. Spock. We asked them to deconstruct the most common myths about pregnancy, some of which are propagated in extremely popular and well-regarded pregnancy books. Consider it our Mother’s Day present to moms-to-be.

Myth #1: Cocoa butter prevents stretch marks.False. In fact using cocoa butter makes women’s skin more sensitive, and some women have allergic reactions to it. Dr. Park treated one woman who came in with bright pink circles on her breasts. She couldn’t figure out why, until the patient copped to using cocoa butter to try to keep her breasts perky.

Myth #2: You can’t fly during your first or last trimester. Nope. False again. You can fly whenever you want. Some airlines won’t let you on the plane in your last trimester, but that has more to do with fears that you’ll go into labor and force the plane to land or spoil the upholstery.

Myth #3: You can’t pet your cat during pregnancy.False. However, you shouldn’t change your cat’s litter box during pregnancy because of the risk of toxoplasmosis from the dookies. And also, because, dammit, you’re growing a human being, and do you have to everything?

Myth #4: You shouldn’t eat smoked salmon while pregnant.False. Salmon is good for mothers-to-be; it’s high in omega-3 fatty acids like DHA, which studies show have a variety of benefits for pregnant women and their fetuses, and salmon is a fresh water fish, so the likelihood of mercury poisoning is low.

Myth #5: You can’t eat sushi.False. Sushi is permissible except for mackerel, shark, tilefish and swordfish. And don’t eat too much tuna — no more than 12. oz (about two maki, or rolls) per week.

Myths #9, 10 and 11: You shouldn’t have sex/lift your hands over your head/touch your toes while pregnant:All false (and a little bit weird), unless you have a specific medical condition and your doctor warns you against it.

Myth #12: You shouldn’t take hot baths while pregnant.True, actually. You should avoid saunas, Jacuzzis or anything that raises your body temperature over 102 degrees.

Myth #13: You shouldn’t drink coffee while pregnant.False. Don’t go nuts, but a cup a day won’t hurt junior.

Myth #14: You should abstain from alcohol during pregnancy.True, with a question mark. The American College of Obstetricians, along with all other American health authorities, advise women to stay on the wagon, but at least one big British study recently suggested that two drinks a week during pregnancy might not do harm.

Myth #15: Pregnant women should sleep on their left side.False. That’s going to be hard on the old left hip. Just get whatever sleep you can. The mommy docs also say the myth about expectant moms avoiding back-sleeping is rubbish.

Myth #16: The baby’s position in the womb can tell you its sex.False. Also, the line on the skin stretching below the navel is no clue to whether your baby’s a boy or girl. You just can’t tell from outside the womb. On the upside, if you do try, you’ve got a 50% shot of getting it right.

Myth #17: Walking makes labor go faster.False. It might make you feel better but there’s no activity that’s going to bring on labor, sorry. (Dr. Bohn has treated women who swear by a certain restaurant’s salad in Los Angeles. Also false, as is the old cod liver-oil myth.)

Myth #18: Pregnant women should eat for two. Nu-unh. False. Carrying a baby actually only requires 300 extra calories a day. So technically you should be eating for about one and a fifth. If you do eat for two, you’ll end up with a bigger baby, which reminds the mommy docs of another fable…

Myth #19: A bigger baby is a better baby.False. The average baby weighs about 7.5 lbs. Babies that are much bigger than that are more likely to suffer from diabetes and obesity in later life.

Myth #20: Drinking dark beer helps the milk come in. Nope. False. It might help the mother relax, though, which does help with milk letdown (but it has nothing to do with the barley in the beer). Also, a beer is great for Mom’s mental well-being.

And, finally, going outside when you’re pregnant during an eclipse will not give your baby a cleft palate. But you probably already knew that.

This is a good article, but the tone of mockery ("sheesh") doesn't help women who are worried about, say, furniture polish. Pregnancy can be an anxious time for many women, and pregnant women who worry about hair dyes or hot dogs should know that they can ask their doctors questions about these items - or anything else that concerns them - and be listened to. Mocking them for these fears is certainly not helpful, and can be harmful to those who are vulnerable to depression.

Myth #20 is misleading. Brewer's yeast is often used to increase milk supply. In addition, oatmeal helps as well. Therefore, Oatmeal Stout is an excellent beer to help with milk production. I know from personal experience (Holy engorged post-beer boobs, Batman!) and know I'm not the only one via anecdotal evidence at my new moms group. Dark beer may not bring in your milk, but it does help with milk production.